1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unattended system for watering live, growing plants, with particular applicability to potted houseplants. The plant watering system of the invention allows a plant owner to leave live houseplants unattended for days, weeks, and even months at a time, yet ensures that a plant receives the appropriate amount of water throughout the duration of the owner's absence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One problem that has for years faced the owners of potted houseplants who travel from home more than a few days at a time is the problem of attending to the watering of such houseplants. Some potted houseplants are very valuable, costing as much as several hundred dollars each. Therefore, such plants represent a considerable monetary investment. Other potted houseplants, though having considerably less monetary value, nevertheless are quite important to their owners due to an emotional or sentimental attachment. In either case, the owners of such plants go to considerable measures to ensure that their plants are properly cared for and watered regularly in the owner's absence.
One solution to the problem of the requirement for water by plants that plant owners often choose is to request a friend or neighbor to come into the plant owner's residence and water the plants at appropriate intervals. This solution has several drawbacks, however. First of all, it does require imposing on the person requested to perform the plant watering chore. Also, some individuals are reluctant to have other people in their residences during their absence. Furthermore, there is always the chance that the person requested to water the plants will forget to do so, since such a chore is not part of that person's regular routine.
Another solution that plant owners sometimes adopt is to transport their plants to the abode of a trustworthy friend or neighbor who can then water the plants at his or her own premises during the plant owner's absence. This solution likewise has disadvantages. Some plants are quite large and cannot easily be transported. Furthermore, the plants can easily become damaged during the transfer from and return to the plant owner's residence. Also, considerable physical effort is often required in transporting large houseplants and/or many houseplants. In addition, some plants will not thrive in a different environment due to differences in levels of sunlight, temperature, humidity, or damage from the actions of children or pets.
Automated plant watering systems have been devised that provide unattended houseplants with water according to a programmed schedule. Such automated systems can involve a computer controlled operation of relays and valves to release water to one or more growing plants according to a schedule. However, such automated systems are quite expensive. Furthermore, they involve a considerable amount of control hardware that occupies space that is often at a premium. In addition, such automated plant watering systems typically involve extended irrigation piping and control lines which are unsightly and which are obstructions that make normal cleaning of the premises more difficult. Even if the automated control is a simple electric timer, it typically operates from a household wall current outlet, and therefore is susceptible to disruption by power outages.